April 2011 posts

One of the mixed blessings of our modern society is an ever-increasing life expectancy.

For those of us with the advantages of good health and adequate income, those extra years are a gift. But for those who face a long period of disability and poverty, old age can be more daunting than rewarding, not only for the elderly but for their families as well.

For the growing population of elderly Latinos, of whom Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup, the future is particularly uncertain. That population is projected to increase dramatically in the years to come, rising from the current 1.3 million to 14.7 million by 2050. The number of these individuals who are 85 and older — the so-called "frail elderly" or "oldest-old" — will also continue to grow. Interestingly, despite its socioeconomic disadvantage, the Latino population as a whole actually has a higher life expectancy than its non-Latino counterparts, a phenomenon known as the "Latino paradox." But this longevity has trade-offs, as Latinos — Mexican Americans in particular — tend to spend a larger number of years with chronic health problems than their non-Latino counterparts. Experts are still trying to solve the puzzle, but the evidence suggests a strong link between poverty, lack of education, and the loss of the immigrant advantage through selective health risk behaviors, such as smoking and fast-food diets.

A longer period of incapacitation means a greater need for assistance, and therein lies a problem that has both economic and cultural aspects.

On the economic side, many Latinos spend their working lives in low-paying jobs that preclude saving for retirement. Even those who are eligible for Social Security often receive low benefits and rely heavily on publicly funded programs such as Medicaid that are at risk of continuing cutbacks and restructuring. The tight economy also affects younger Latinos, with the escalating cost of living often making it difficult to support themselves and their children, much less their aging parents. The high unemployment rate for Latinos — 11.3 percent in March 2011 — further exacerbates the problem.

On the cultural side of the equation, although Latinos as a group are strongly tied to their families and place high value on intergenerational bonds, both economic realities and societal pressures are taking their toll.

The time-honored traditions and expectations of caring for older parents at home as opposed to placing them in a nursing home are at a crossroads.

Who, then, will care for the burgeoning population of elderly Latinos, particularly that large number with serious disabilities? As a sociologist who has spent many years studying the health and long-term care needs of this vulnerable population, I believe that the answer to that question depends on how a number of other important questions are addressed.

• Over the 15 years since our first study of the living arrangements and long-term care expectations of older Mexican Americans the evidence that cultural tradition dictates the reliance on family for long-term care has not significantly altered. However, a larger proportion of the same group of Mexican-born and U.S.-born older adults now also cite economic and health constraints as reasons for living with family. • Research has also shown that among those of Mexican origin, individuals who migrated to the United States in mature adulthood have a higher life expectancy than individuals who migrated in childhood or midlife. • As noted earlier, however, living longer does not necessarily mean living well. Balancing quality-of-life issues — including cultural preferences — with harsh economic realities will become increasingly difficult, both for families and for those who fund and carry out public assistance programs.

Returning then, to the question of who will take care of our Latino elders when they are no longer able to take care of themselves, I suggest that each of us can assume some share of the responsibility.

One key to effective planning for the future is obtaining sound information, whether that be family members gathering facts about available assistance or policy researchers gathering data about demographic trends or public officials gathering forecasts on the economy. Although it is difficult to predict how the current reforms in the health care and public assistance systems will affect various subgroups of the U.S. population, including the growing Mexican-American contingent, those reforms are not static. Changes will continue to be made in response to new circumstances and new information.

With 30 years of industry experience under his belt, one Texas-based insurance executive decided it was time to open his own operation to serve the insurance needs of the growing Hispanic population. While Dallas-based Hispanic Affiliates General Agency (HAGA) recently opened its doors, the project has been years in the making, explained Tony Gonzalez.

Having served in executive roles with insurers that utilize the independent agency distribution channel of the property/casualty insurance business, such as Safeco and Republic Group, Gonzalez’s expertise extends from marketing to sales to commercial underwriting and more. Now he’s adding company owner to his list of accomplishments.

The 2010 census shows that the Hispanic population in the United States grew by 43 percent between 2000 and 2010. Gonzalez believes this growing market is ripe for independent agents to explore as currently most Hispanics fill their insurance needs via the captive side of the insurance industry. To serve that need, Gonzalez is actively recruiting Hispanic retail agents and aims to provide them with products and services, and access to admitted insurance markets, with which they in turn can serve their Hispanic customers.

While the 2010 census had some bearing on Gonzalez’s decision to launch HAGA this year, he said the idea for the business and plans for its implementation have been on the drawing board for some time.Insurance companies that serve the independent agency system don’t have a developed channel through which to reach the Hispanic community, Gonzalez said. And while many companies would like to grow their market share with Hispanic consumers, in many cases they are constrained by the lack of an agency base through which to reach those customers.

During his tenure at Safeco and Republic Group both companies had charged Gonzalez with developing initiatives to reach out to the Hispanic community. As a result of his research, Gonzalez realized the time was right to create a vehicle through which independent agency companies could access a new and growing market.

“The numbers were dramatic,” Gonzalez said. “What I found out was that most of the standard or preferred type business, middle and upper-middle class Hispanics, were with the captive channel.”In his recruiting efforts, Gonzalez is focused on Hispanic independent insurance agents. There’s a good reason for that, he explained.

“They are especially qualified to deal with that [the Hispanic] market,” he said. “They know … to a great degree I would say, what that market looks like. What they need to know about specifically, the target market that we’re going after – middle and upper-middle class – is who has it, why they have that class of business, and what I’m providing them in order to go head-to-head against the captive agency to pull those customers into the independent agency system.”

Gonzalez said the 2010 census has caught the attention of insurers, in terms of the growth of the Hispanic community. “That bodes well for me,” he said. “But companies need to believe that this is a good model for distributing their products. If I were still on that side, that’s what I would have to answer. They need to believe that it is a good model for distributing their products.”

While some companies bought into the idea quickly, others are taking a wait-and-see approach. “The big question for them is, and I’ve heard them say this, where is this business? What does it look like? And, can an MGA get access to it? So, there’s still work to be done on that end with regards to the insurance companies themselves. Most have bought it. Most get it. Some are still waiting,” he said.Gonzalez said he is passionate about what he’s doing and is concentrating now on getting his agency force in place. To that end, he’s logged many hundreds of miles of “windshield” time in order to meet with agents face to face. The next step, he said, is to create awareness among Hispanic consumers of the choice, and quality products and services, the independent insurance agency system has to offer.

It used to be that advertising to the Hispanic segment of the population was simple.

When a client wanted to advertise to Hispanics, it hired (for the most part) a Hispanic advertising agency. The agency produced spots that were done in Spanish and broadcasted in one of the few Spanish media outlets.

Hispanics are becoming the largest minority group in 191 metropolitan areas, a fact that has the potential to shift the balance of power in the House of Representatives due to ethnic voting in states in the redistricting process.

No wonder we are becoming so sought-after. But are we really being courted the right way?

U.S. Latinos (and any immigrant for that matter) have adapted to the new habits of language and ways of doing things very rapidly in order to be competitive. However, we hang onto and cherish our traditions and value systems. We take pride in them and instill them in our progeny.

We are also not a race, but more of an ethnic group comprised of many countries of origin, each with its own regional segmentations due to education, economic status, political affiliation, religion, among others.

What is one of the common denominators among this vast group? Language! Spanish is not only related to our culture but it is also a way to enrich it. It just so happens that a very strong part of how Hispanics feel about our culture is attached to language.

Whenever Latinos get together, we speak in Spanish because it makes us feel comfortable and that we have a sense of connection; it happens naturally. In a mixed group of Latinos from different countries, even idiosyncrasies that may be regionally specific are easily understood.

There is much debate going on recently about whether the Spanish language is still as relevant as it was when most Latinos didn't speak English. And by the same token, whether the traditional Hispanic advertising agencies are outdated.

An Associated Press-Univision poll relating to Hispanics and media consumption shows that U.S. Hispanics, including English-dominant speakers, turn to Spanish-language media on a daily basis.

90% of Spanish-dominant Hispanics watch some Spanish-language TV.

75% listen to Spanish-language radio each day.

Among English-dominant Hispanics, nearly 4 in 10 said they consume either Spanish-language television or radio.

Why do Latinos, even English-dominant, continue to consume Spanish media? Aren't many general market agencies now "speaking" Spanish? Why is it so complicated now to advertise to Hispanics?

It is crucial to understand that, in order to tap into the tremendous consumer and political power Hispanics represent (just like with mainstream Americans), we cannot be grouped together into a homogenous group.

The richness of knowledge that results from the merger of more than one culture and the resourcefulness that is required to adopt the acquired customers, positions multicultural individuals and organizations in an advantageous situation over monoculture ones.

If anything, Hispanic agencies -- by their very nature of having to listen to and understand the needs of a brand in English, find the commonalities with their own personal experiences in Spanish, develop strategies that are relevant to a diverse target and create a message that conveys the original concept without losing all its complexity -- should be seen as more able to "speak" to a diverse audience in any language. This is something that a mere translation cannot achieve.

So, are the Hispanic advertising agencies doomed? Only if they don't speak English at work and Spanish when they go home.

Dell laptops designed for Spanish-language speakers are selling briskly for BrandsMart USA at the company’s South Florida stores, which makes plenty of sense given the area’s high numbers of Hispanic residents.

The Dell Inspiron M5030 sells for $498.88 at BrandsMart USA stores in West Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach, Sunrise and Miami and features a keyboard with keys labeled in Spanish and special characters like the ñ. In addition, it operates on Windows 7 – the Spanish version used by manufacturers in Latin American countries. And of course, the manual is in Spanish.

“This is perfect for people who speak Spanish only or whose first language is Spanish,” said Angus Bryan, vice president of merchandising for BrandsMart USA. “Until now, if they wanted to use a computer, they had to get used to working in English. This gives them something that they are really familiar and comfortable with out of the box.”

And apparently the consumers are happy about it. Bryan could not share specific sales figures, but said Dell laptop “is the second-highest selling Dell laptop in our stores and is selling at a one-to-one [ratio] with the English version.” He adds: “That is pretty strong.”

Dell is the first U.S.-based computer manufacturer to offer a Spanish-language laptop, and the company chose BrandsMart USA to launch the device.Call that a win-win for South Florida.

Phoenix – A federal judge ruled that the office of Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio violated the constitutional rights of an Hispanic father and son who were arrested during an immigration raid in this Arizona metropolis.

"This is a very important decision. The judge said that this detention and the arrest violated the 4th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States," Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told Efe on Tuesday.

In February 2009, Mexican immigrant Julian Mora, a legal resident of the United States for more than 30 years, was detained along with U.S. born son Julio Mora by MCSO deputies.

The Moras were driving in their automobile near Handyman Maintenance Inc., a landscaping firm, where an immigration raid was being conducted at that time.

Soler Meetze said that U.S. District Judge David Campbell ruled on Monday that the Moras were detained for no reason and without probable cause, which is prohibited under the 4th Amendment.

Father and son were taken to the site of the raid and detained for more than three hours.

"This decision also shows that Maricopa County has to take responsibility for the actions of Sheriff Arpaio," said Soler Meetze.

In August 2009, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the MCSO for violating the civil rights of the Moras using the argument that the two men were detained solely based on the color of their skin.

Soler Meetze said the federal judge's decision is just the first part of the lawsuit, given that it is expected that at the end of this year Arpaio will go on trial with prosecutors trying to prove to a jury that the sheriff violated the civil and constitutional rights of the Moras based on racial profiling practices.

In the trial, the level of responsibility of Arpaio, his deputies and Maricopa County in this case will also be determined, as well as the economic compensation to which the Moras may be entitled.

The head of the ACLU of Arizona said she feels that the judge's decision is a clear message to Arpaio that he cannot keep ignoring the law or people's constitutional rights.

"I think that the sheriff will have to change the tactics he uses to carry out his raids," said Soler Meetze.

Arpaio is the only official in Arizona who continuously conducts raids because of alleged violations of the state law sanctioning employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants.

During the raids, dozens of workers have been arrested on charges of identity theft for working using Social Security Numbers that were never issued to them.

Currently, Arpaio is also under investigation by the Justice Department on accusations of making racial profiling arrests during his operations.

In response to rapid growth in Latin markets, HootSuite announces a full localization for Spanish-speaking users. Now, businesses, organizations and marketing professionals from 20+ countries can use the popular social media dashboard too in their first language.

HootSuite, the popular social media dashboard for professional social network management is now entirely localized for Spanish. The company, with over 1.5 million users worldwide, is pleased to offer this option as one of the many resources available to its growing Spanish-speaking community.

Spanish – Essential to the HootSuite Road-Map

HootSuite is now fully translated in Spanish, but the outreach to began over 6 months ago starting with a Spanish support profile on Twitter @HootSuite_ES, then adding a dedicated section in the Help Desk, followed by Spanish-translated Info Sheets and Case Studies to provide industry knowledge and information. Additionally, Spanish versions of the mobile applications were released in Autumn 2010 for iPhone/iPad, BlackBerry, and Android to positive reaction.

"After noticing the fast growth and keen interest coming from dozens of Spanish-speaking countries, we're very pleased to announce a full Spanish localization for the HootSuite social media dashboard. This translation is a result of significant work by passionate HootSuite volunteers who can take pride in knowing their contributions are helping social media fans around the world. We are also grateful to see such positive reaction to the Spanish-language case studies and customer support channels over the last six months and will continue to share user success stories from Latin countries."

-- Ryan Holmes, HootSuite CEO

Fast Growth in Latin Markets

Spanish-speaking HootSuite users are the fastest growing international HootSuite community -- increasing by over 100% in recent months. These statistics are illustrated in an infographic which shows the rapid growth in Spanish-speaking countries as well as social media usage patterns.

Mexico leads as the Spanish-speaking country which sends the most Tweets, followed by Spain.

The number of HootSuite users in Spanish speaking countries during the last six months grew by 93% compared with 68% overall.

The fastest growing Spanish-speaking countries during the last six months are El Salvador, Venezuela, Honduras, Guatemala and Puerto Rico – all with growth of over 100%.

The most popular social network in the Spanish speaking markets is Twitter with 54% of total added accounts, followed by Facebook (24% profiles and 10% pages) in 2nd place.

HootSuite Translation Project

The Spanish translation of the HootSuite Web application is possible thanks to the crowd-sourcing and collaborative work of multiple translators and coordinators who volunteered in the Translation Project, a HootSuite initiative to provide the dashboard in multiple languages through community participation at: http://translate.hootsuite.com

Florida’s Hispanic students are earning more college degrees than their counterparts in other states, but President Obama and others note there’s room for improvement.

April 26, 2011

By Michael Vasquez

President Obama’s goal of the United States achieving the world’s highest proportion of college graduates will be significantly boosted — or dragged down — by the fate of Hispanic students, according to a pair of education reports released this week

One of those reports comes from the White House itself. The Obama administration on Wednesday will release “Winning the future: Improving education for the Latino community.” Preliminary excerpts from the report emphasize that Hispanics are by far the largest minority in U.S. public schools — comprising more than 1 in 5 in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Hispanics are also projected to account for the majority of the nation’s population growth between 2005 and 2050.

But Hispanic students for years have graduated college at lower rates than the population as a whole, making America’s progress in education impossible if Hispanics continue to lag behind, the White House argues.

“It’s good news for Florida compared to the rest of the country,” said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education. “But it’s also a story that there’s lots more work to be done.”

Florida’s sizable Hispanic middle class is a key factor in the state’s relatively high rate of Hispanic college graduates. Research has shown higher income levels, as well as college-educated parents, significantly boost a child’s chances of completing his or her degree.

Excelencia’s report, which is the first of a planned series of state-by-state fact sheets, did not break down Hispanic by country of origin.

In the White House’s report, Hispanic college achievement is called “integral” to the administration’s overriding educational goals.

“This is an American issue, not just a Latino issue,” said Juan Sepúlveda, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Sepúlveda singled out pre-kindergarten education as one area with much room for improvement — Hispanics, he said, are the country’s only ethnic group with less than half their children enrolled in pre-K classes.

Not so long ago, recommending digital marketing to target Latinos was a very uncomfortable conversation to have with a client. Fortunately, those days seem to be over. Supported by strong research, clients are more familiar with the growing importance of digital among Hispanics (social media, mobile, etc). As part of that (now easier) conversation, Hispanics and social media is becoming one of the hottest topics.

And clients are right. In just one year, as the total Latinos online audience grew 16 percent, the number of Latinos on Facebook grew 2.8 times. In March 2011, the amount of Hispanic Facebook users reached almost 22 million. That is, 70.2 percent of all Latinos online are active Facebook users versus 29.1 percent one year before.

We are seeing not only reach but true engagement. Latinos spend more time on Facebook: 52 percent of Hispanics use Facebook at least weekly, spending an average of 29 minutes on social networking versus White Americans who spend 19 minutes.

There's no doubt that Latinos are into Facebook. My question is, what's the real opportunity for marketers? Is this growing penetration a powerful marketing tool? Do Latinos engage with brands as actively as they do with other people?

Gap or Opportunity?

According to a recent study published by eMarketer, PR professionals believe that social media is a key tool for reaching Latinos. However, only 45 percent of respondents are actually using social media to reach Hispanics, compared to 92 percent who use it to reach the general population. This discrepancy means there is a huge opportunity for marketers to reach Hispanics via social media.

Let's take a look at the top 10 most watched TV shows both in English and Spanish. Spanish programs are getting stronger in terms of ratings. Take Reina del Sur that topped CBS, ABD, and NBC in its time slot in adults 18-49. But when it comes to creating social relationships, the story seems to be very different.

The Latino Benchmark

One of the biggest challenges that we face when starting social media strategies for our clients is setting the right goals. In other words, what does success look like? Especially considering that most of the brands are just getting started.

So I tried to build a benchmark by analyzing what the top 100 brands are doing. Let's see the key findings.

Finding 100 brands with both a general market and a Hispanic Facebook page was pretty hard.

Almost all the brands use a Spanish language, thus most of the analysis has to be built comparing English versus Spanish pages.

The ratio (Spanish fans over total English fans) was disappointingly low, confirming somehow that there's a huge gap or opportunity.

Categorizing the brands in terms of ratio performance, I could establish three segments:

Successful brands: 8 percent-plus

Good performers: 4 to 8 percent

Underperformers: less than 4 percent

Almost 80 percent of the brands belonged to the "underperformers" segment (i.e., Pepsiyosumo has only 6,901 fans).

Examples of "successful" brands are: Toyota Latino and American Airlines.

Spanish Facebook pages of brands tend to have a lower engagement than specific Hispanic pages (i.e., those of TV shows), though the latter are also in Spanish.

From a community management perspective, there's a lot of room to grow. Delays in answering questions (even not answering) were seen across key brands. In many cases, the dialogue with the consumer was pretty basic and anything but inspirational.

Moving the Conversation Forward

My first conclusion is that there's a huge gap between Latinos' usage of Facebook and real engagement with brands through their Spanish pages.

Second, considering that most of the Spanish initiatives are new and that many brands are just testing the waters, there's light at the other end of the tunnel. In order to move the conversation forward, marketers need to change their approach beyond language.

A Hispanic approach to social media should be based on content and engagement, rather than simply language. Once identified, the role of the Latino Facebook page, a bilingual approach, has a bigger potential. Consumers are used to interacting in both languages or in the language of their choice. Bilingualism conversations are richer.